Dawn in the Tambopata National Reserve, accessible only by boat, one and a half hours up river from Puerto Maldonado we find ourselves in the heart of one of the best preserved tropical rainforests in the world. The songs of hundreds of birds resonate in the ancient trees and the unique sound of the Howler Monkey reverberates in the jungle. So the peace of the early morning fog lifts in the jungles of the Peruvian Amazon.
After a 30 minute boat ride along the Tambopata River from our Eco Lodge we arrive at Tres Chimbadas Oxbow Lake with the anticipation of seeing for the first time the giant Otter, Caiman, Horned Screamers and an array of birdlife. The elusive Otter remained elusive this morning, however we were treated to a spectacle by the Horned Screamer and the Black Caiman while gently and silently floating across the lake.
For those with a quick reflex, a spot of fishing saw us catch Piranha from the Lake. These small fish with very sharp teeth turned out to be not quite the man eating fish that Hollywood has been known to portray, but I still would not like to be in the water with them.
The 3 days spent at the Eco Lodge were amazing, with our comfortable accommodation open to the sights and sounds of the jungle. Our group of women's own adventure travelers were treated to nature walks through the jungle where we observed the Parrot clay lick from a specially built blind. To our amazement there was a flurry of birds frightened away, and in the blink of an eye we had the absolutely unique sighting of an Ocelot (a large cat related to the Leopard) attempting to pounce on the unsuspecting Parrots and Macaws. It was right there in front of our blind, a mere 15 metres away and in clear view. We held our breath as the sighting lasted about a minute before the Ocelot disappeared back into the jungle.
That was certainly a once in a lifetime experience for us all. The Amazon Jungle, The Final Frontier was also the final part of our amazing Chile and Peru Adventure.
- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure
The first view of the Citadel of Machu Picchu is absolutely amazing. You cannot help but to marvel at the sight. The lost city of the Incas is built on a saddle shaped ridge slung between 2 giant peaks. Near vertical slopes drop away on either side, down to a massive bend in the Urubamba River.
Looking down at the Citadel of Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate
Looking up at the Sun Gate in the top left corner of the photo
Our group of adventurous women hiked up to the spectacular Sun Gate (INTIPUNKA), this is where the Citadel is viewed for the first time by those that trek the Inca Trail.
The second day visit to the Citadel saw us catch the early bus at 5.30am from Aguas Calientes, in order to experience the quiet and mystical feel of a sunrise over the Citadel. Even though the morning was shrouded in clouds, the surreal and spiritual experience was overwhelming.
Three members of our group led by our fearless leader Jose climbed the towering Huayna Picchu which is the pinnacle peak overlooking the Citadel. Pan, Sharn and Robina achieved the very steep climb to the top in 45 minutes, from where the view is spectacular.
We enjoyed a tour detailing the fascinating history and archeology of Machu Picchu, and the rest of the morning was spent walking through the ruins imagining the life that existed there. Machu Picchu should be experienced at least once in your lifetime.
The small town built over the Urubumba River below the mountain is called Aguas Calientes (meaning Hot Waters). It enjoys hot springs, a melting pot of people and plenty of market stalls, this was our overnight stopover.
Our journey then takes us to the bustling city of Cusco, filled with restaurants, shops, churches, museums and people from all over the world.
- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure
On the 28th of September we flew across the Andes mountains from Lima which is on the coast to Cusco which is in the mountains at 3,000 metres.
From here we traveled to the Sacred valley, a most beautiful valley with the Urubumba River flowing through the centre. We had the privilege of visiting the local Sunday markets in Chinchero which has got to be the most beautiful outdoor market in all of Peru, surrounded by snow capped mountains and spectacular scenery as far as the eye can see. Both Liz and myself were fortunate enough to celebrate our birthdays in this special place.
The following day we visited some of the archeological sites at Pisac and Olyantambo, along the Sacred valley. There is so much fascinating Incan history all around.
The next 2 days were spent trekking through beautiful hills and valleys with a backdrop of mountains and the most stunning vistas to arrive at a small community village where our group of Women's Own Adventure were greeted with the warmest welcome possible. As honored guests we helped the families plant 5 trees as a memorial of our visit to their community and had a wonderful opportunity to interact with these lovely people.
We stayed in their homes and spent time at the pre-school with the beautiful children. In the morning we trekked back to our lovely hotel in the Sacred valley to enjoy another wonderful Peruvian meal.
- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure
A group of 10 women travelling with Women's Own Adventure arrived in Santiago ready to practice our Spanish and get into the culture of South America. After a walking tour of this beautiful city we visited the Pre-Columbian Art Museum which has the most amazing art pieces from the whole of South America.
Today we had the pleasure of visiting the artisan market at Pueblitos Los Dominicos where beautiful arts are crafts are made by the very talented local artisans. The variety of creative pieces is amazing.
We were then met by our local chef who took us shopping for an array of fresh seafood and herbs for our cooking class of a mouthwatering Chillean meal. The afternoon was filled with plenty of local wine, great food and lots of laughs.
Tomorrow we leave for Lima, Peru where we will be met by Carmen and a group of small children from nearby villages. With Carmens help we are able to give gifts of clothing that we have brought to Peru for the poor families.
- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure
The journey in Sabah, Borneo for our group of women adventure travellers is coming to a close after 14 days of adventures, challenges, new friends and exciting times. We have travelled by boat to our rough jungle camp on the Kinabatangan River where a 
night jungle walk reveled the Civet Cat near our camp. Having spotted an abundance of birdlife, monkeys and crocodiles on the river, we enjoyed a hot meal and a good nights sleep to the sounds of the jungle in hammocks.
The following day we were treated to a cooking 
class by the local village women where we enjoyed a sumptuous lunch and were entertained with a traditional dance. A homestay experience with local families really allowed us to appreciate the way of life in a small village.
One of the highlights of our trip was to see a large turtle lay her eggs on Turtle Island in the cool of the evening. Some 44 turtles came to lay their eggs on the island that night, with each turtle laying up to 100 eggs each.
Women's Own Adventure and the group of 11 women on this journey have jointly adopted a baby orphan Orangutan from the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. These amazing creatures are fascinating to watch as they are rehabilitated back into the jungle. The wildlife experiences in Sabah, Borneo have been fantastic in a country that has very strong conservation policies.
- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure
The summit of Mt Kinabalu at 4095 metres is the goal. Ten of us started the steep climb from the base at Kinabalu National Park from where the lofty peak can be seen through the fast moving 
clouds. The track winds over steep and rough terrain for 6km to Laban Rata at 3,250 metres, our overnight resting spot before the final 2.7km climb to the summit. The climb to Laban Rata took up to 8 hours of uphill slog. What a welcome sight was the lodge on the hill, with a hot meal and a warm bed waiting.
The final climb to the summit started at 2:30am the next morning (yes it was dark). We rugged up against the cold and climbed for up to 4 hours, I reached the summit at 6:45am to watch the beautiful sunrise. The view from the top was exhilarating and certainly worth the effort. To feel as though you are at the top of the world on a beautiful clear morning is absolutely fantastic.
However we were not done yet, as we still had another 7 hours of downhill to get back to the base of the mountain. The downhill was very hard on the legs, by the end of which we were limping along on sore knees and weary muscles. Relief was in sight in the hot springs of Poring, where we spent the next day recovering.
- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure
We travelled by mini bus and 4 wheel drive vehicle to the village of Kiau Nulu
h which is set among the lush green forest on the mountain side. The Dusun people number around 1,000 with another 3 nearby villages. Our reception was delightful with a special performance by the mothers group and a dance by the local children. With a spectacular backdrop of the surrounding mountains it was a wonderful afternoon with many smiling faces. The evening we were treated to the most delicious dinner as special guests of the village. The array of food cooked by the women was amazing, and all from local produce of the village. Then came the very potent rice wine which soon melted away the shyness of everyones attempts at both the Malaysian and English languages. The locals all loved the opportunity of talking to us and practicing their English. There were laughs and singing all around into the night.
The next morning we enjoyed the wonderful hospitality again with breakfast and a beautiful view. 
A morning village walk was in store where we ascended to a high point that gave us our first view of Mt Kinabalu, the peak forming an awesome rocky outcrop that would regularly disappear into the clouds. This will be our challenge in 2 days time!
- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure
Our group of 11 adventurous women from as far afield as Esperance in Western Australia, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney landed at Kota Kinabalu on Friday 22nd August, 2008. We spent our first day and a half exploring the local markets (always a favourite) where beautiful batiks and sarongs were bargained for. The early morning was spent taking a speed boat to
3 of the nearby islands while the water was smooth as glass. The first island was our very own with no other people on it. The sand is white and the water is the most gorgeous turquoise in the shallows, here we happily swam and floated in the warm waters. What a joy after the wet and cold of Sydney. After exploring and swimming on the third island the boat ride back to port felt wonderful with the wind in our hair, the salt spray of the sea on our faces and the sun on our backs.
A little more time was spent exploring the local shops then for me and some of the others, a reflexology session was in order. An hour long foot massage...heaven. Tonight we are celebrating 2 birthdays, so there will be a special dinner with some local Lyche wine and a birthday cake. A celebration for us all!
The Malaysian people are friendly and beautiful. It is a joy to walk the streets and the markets without being harassed by street vendors.
Tomorrow we travel to the base of Mt Kinabalu and will stay in the homes of the Dusun people.
- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure
We are to begin our Women's Own Adventure trip to Borneo on 22nd August. This trip will see us climb Mt Kinabalu. There are 11 women adventurers, 6 from Western Australia, 1 from Queensland and 4 from New South Wales. I will keep this blog updated during our trip.
- signing off, Marika Martinez - Women's Own Adventure
Kay Cottee
Solo Round the World Sailor
It was a childhood dream and a love for the sea that drove Kay Cottee towards her goal of being the first woman to sail alone, non-stop and unassisted around the world.
Twenty years ago in June 1988, Kay Cottee returned to Sydney a heroine, not just for sailors, but for women. Sailing Blackmores First Lady, a 37 foot cavalier she built herself, Kay covered over 22,000 nautical miles of the world’s oceans and around the 5 great Capes in the Southern Hemisphere. During the 189 days at sea with only a radio for company, she did not eat fresh food and woke almost every hour (or less) to check her course, to scan the horizon for ships and to ensure the sails were trimmed.
Kay survived seas of over 80 feet, winds of 100 knots, rudder and boom damage and First Lady was almost run down by a tanker!
Kay set seven world records on this incredible voyage, and has become a source of inspiration to thousands of people worldwide. When Kay Cottee's voyage ended, the accolades began. She was named the Bi-Centennial Australian of the Year in 1988, made an Officer of the Order of Australia and is the second only ever recipient of the Cutty Stark Medal - UK.
Kay’s words .. “get out there and give it a go”.
